Electronic component sensing system

Claim 3

The system of claim 1 wherein said means for defining the position of the transported electronic component within said second station comprises: means for holding the electronic component underneath a placement head which picks up the component and deposits the electronic component on the media; and means for adjusting the position of said holding means underneath the placement head in response to the length sensed by said length sensing means.

Claim 4

The system of claim 2 further comprising: means for withdrawing said holding means from underneath the placement head prior to said placement head depositing the electronic component on the media.

Claim 5

The system of claim 3 wherein said means for adjusting the position of said holding means comprises: means for defining a stop position of said holding means when said holding means is returned to a position underneath said placement head.

Claim 6

The system of claim 1 wherein said means for sensing the length of the positioned chip within said first station comprises: at least one light sensitive sensor located at a predefined distance from said means for temporarily stopping the component; and at least one light source positioned opposite said at least one light sensitive sensor so as to normally illuminate substantially all of the light sensitive sensor.

Claim 7

The system of claim 5 wherein the predefined distance at which said light sensitive sensor is located from said means for temporarily stopping the component is substantially the same as the length of a first sized electronic component to be processed within the machine.

Claim 8

The system of claim 6 wherein the length of said light sensitive sensor is substantially the same as the difference between the lengths of the first sized electronic component to be processed and a second sized electronic component to be processed within the machine.

Claim 9

The system of claim 5 wherein said at least one light sensitive sensor comprises: means for responding to the amount of light from said at least one light source so as to define at least one set of signal conditions indicative of the size of an electronic component present at the first station.

Claim 10

The system of claim 8 wherein said means for responding to the amount of light from said at least one light source comprises: means for conducting an electrical current in response to the amount of light from said at least one light source; and means for generating a signal condition in response to the relative conductivity of said means for conducting electrical current.

Claim 11

In a machine which processes electronic components of different sizes to a placement head which picks up the components and deposits the components on a media, a system for sensing the size of an electronic component so that the component can be positioned relative to the placement head prior to being picked up by the placement head, said system comprising: at least one light source positioned in a processing channel within said machine; means for responding to the amount of light from said at least one light source so as to define a set of signal conditions indicative of different component sizes; and means, responsive to the set of signal conditions, for establishing at least two distinct positions of components relative to the displacement head wherein each of the at least two component positions centers a component of particular size relative to the placement head.

Claim 12

In a machine which processes electronic components of different sizes to a placement head which picks up the components and deposits the components on a media, a system for sensing the size of an electronic component so that the component can be positioned relative to the placement head prior to being picked up by the placement head, said system comprising: at least one light source positioned in a processing channel within said machine; means for responding to the amount of light from said at least one light source so as to define a set of signal conditions indicative of different component sizes; and means, responsive to the set of signal conditions, for establishing at least two distinct positions of components relative to the displacement head wherein each of the at least two component positions centers a component of particular size relative to the placement head.

Claim 13

The system of claim 10 wherein said means for responding to the amount of light from said at least one light source so as to define at least one set of signal conditions indicative of the different component sizes comprises: means for conducting an electrical current in response to the amount of light from said at least one light source; and means for generating a signal condition in response to the relative conductivity of said means for conducting electrical current.

Claim 14

The system of claim 10 wherein said means for establishing at least two distinct positions of the component relative to the placement head comprises: means for holding the electronic component underneath the placement head prior to the component being picked up by the placement head; and means for adjusting the position of said holding means underneath the placement head in response to a particular signal condition from said means for responding to the amount of light from said at least one light source.

Claim 15

The system of claim 12 further comprising: means for withdrawing said holding means from underneath the placement head prior to said placement head depositing the electronic component on the media.

Claim 16

The system of claim 12 wherein said means for responding to the amount of light from said at least one light source so as to define at least one set of signal conditions indicative of the different component sizes comprises: means for conducting an electrical current in response to the amount of light from said at least one light source; and means for generating the particular signal condition in response to the relative conductivity of said means for conducting electronical current.